Window screen for automobiles



Sept. 11, 1934. ca. R. FOWLER ET AL 1,973,165

WINDOW SCREEN FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed April 17; 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet lGeorgeEFawZe SaNuLeZOD /w Sept. 11, 1934. G,' R F WLER H 1,973,166

WINDOW SCREEN FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed April 17, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented Sept. 11, 1934 UNITED STATES WINDOW SCREEN FOR AUTOMOBILESGeorge R. Fowler, Marion, and Samuel 0. Denton, West Frankfort, Ill.

Application April 17, 1933, Serial No.'666',4l2

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in automobile window screens andmore particularly to improvements in a construction whereby a movablescreen may be mounted in the usual doors or windows of automobiles sothat the screen when in use will exclude foreign matter from theinterior of the car.

It is an object of the present invention to position the movable screenupon the inside of 110 the window glass whereby in case of breakage ofthe window glass, the glass particles are prevented by the screen frompassing into the interior of the automobile.

It is further an object of the present invention .15 to provide animproved construction whereby the window glass or the screen may beraised or lowered independently of each other and in which the operatingmeans for raising and lowering the screen and the glass are conveniently20 positioned for access from the interior of the car.

Further objects and advantages of the present improvements will be morereadily apparent from the following disclosure taken in connection withthe attached drawings in which,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the interior of anautomobile showing the association of the screen with the window glassin a door of the car;

Figure 2 is an inner elevation of the car door, portions being brokenaway to disclose the operating means;

Figure 3 is a horizontal section on the plane indicated 33 in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a vertical section on the plane indicated 4--4 in Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a detail section on the plane indicated 55 in Figure 2, and

Figure 6 is a detail section on the plane indicated 6-6 in Figure 2.

The conventional automobile door 10 is provided with window glass 12vertically slidable in guides 14. The glass may slide into the usualhollow portion 16 at the bottom of the door. In the present disclosure,the door is further provided with a screen 18 vertically slidable inguides 20. It is to be noted that the screen is positioned on the insidewith respect to the glass. The door is provided with the usual framedwindow opening 22.

The inner wall 24 of the door has mounted thereon a hand crank 26 forraising and lowering the window glass, a hand crank 28 for raising andlowering the window screen and a latch- 55 release lever 30. It will benoted that the cranks 26 and 28 are closely associated in position andat a convenient height for operation by occupants of the automobile.

The crank 26 operates a pinion 32 in meshing relation with a worm 34,which drives, through a 00'; universal joint 36, a threaded shaft 38. Alever 40 is fulcrumed at 42 to the door frame and is provided with a nutmember 44 threaded on the shaft 38. The lever is substantially L-shapedand the end opposite the fulcrum 42 is provided with a pin 46 sliding inthe slotted plate 48 which is fixed to the bottom edge of the glass atone side thereof. The lever is offset at 50 in order that the arms ofthe lever will lie on opposite sides of the screen when the screen is inlowered position and the window is raised. This position is indicated bydotted lines in Figure 2.

In order to equalize the pressure upon the glass and to assist inobtaining a smoother sliding movement, a lever 52 is provided, fulcrumed7 at 54 on the opposite side of the door frame with respect to thefulcrum 42. Lever 52 has a thrust roller 56 bearing against the loweredge of the glass on the side opposite the point of contact between thelever 40 and the guide plate 48. The lever 52 is normally urged in anupward direction by a spring 58 secured at 60 to a suitable fixed pointon the door. It will be noted in Figure 2 that the glass travels agreater amount vertically than the corresponding vertical movement ofthe connection 44 between the lever 40 and the shaft 38.

The crank 28 which constitutes the means for raising and lowering thescreen is provided with a pinion gear 62 in meshing relation with thesector gear 64 which is pivoted at 66. Adjacent the pivot 66 a coilspring 68 is provided to counter-balance the weight of the screen andnormally present a yieldable resistance to the movement of the gear 64and the screen in order that the screen will normally remain in theposition to which it has been raised. One end of the spring 68 isfastened to the door, the other end is attached to the gear 64. Thesector gear 64 is provided with a lever arm 70 which has a pin 72engaging the slotted guide plate '74 which is secured to the lower edgeof the screen. The lever 70 is so arranged that its point of engagementwith the guide plate 74 is substantially adjacent the center of thescreen in the raised and lowered positions thereof.

As previously described, the screen when in lowered position is free topass between the offset arms of the lever 40. This arrangement permits11b no alteration of body lines or body construction except the extrathickness of the door to as;

commodate the extra guides for the screen.

Various modifications and changes may be resorted to without departingfrom the spirit of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In an automobile door having a window opening, a window screenslidably mounted in said window opening, operating means for raising andlowering said window screen, said means including resilient means formaintaining the window screen in raised position.

2. In an automobile door having .a window opening, a slidable windowscreen mounted in said window opening, a rotatable operating handle onthe sideof the door, a sector gear rotatably mounted in said door, apinion gearfixed'to said operating handle within said door in meshingrelation with said sector gear, an arm integral with said sector gear inoperative engagement with the bottom of said window screen, whereby saidwindow screen may be raised and lowered through movement of said handleand means for counter balancing the'wei'ght of said screen.

GEORGE E. FOWLER. SAMUEL O. DEN'ION.

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